For a long time, the Irish have had a deep-rooted need to own
their homes, unlike our neighbours in many parts of Europe. This
was explained by hundreds of years of foreign rule with little
tenant security. It seems that we have come full circle, writes
Maples Group Partner Mary Dunne.
Until little over a decade ago, most young Irish people aspired
to a mortgage, principally provided by traditional Irish banks.
However, nowadays many young and not so young people in Ireland,
particularly in Dublin, no longer aspire to own their own homes.
They simply cannot access appropriate credit in many instances.
As we are all aware, there is a chronic shortage of rental
properties, principally in the major Irish cities. But despite the
fact that long-term renting is now a reality for many Irish people,
including young families, our legislation has not achieved the kind
of long-term tenure and protection that many of our European
neighbours provide to tenants. Whilst we have
